GIFTS

Parents bring different local dishes from around the world for our school’s SDG Day. This year I tasted a spicy dish that was very similar to a dish we have in Ghana. I asked and found out it was a Malaysian dish. I even found the name of the dish after describing it to colleagues, Nasi Lemak.

During my visit to Malaysia, I sought that dish. I tasted different versions of it and bought a couple of Malaysian cookbooks as I knew I had to reinvent this same dish at home.

All the ingredients are available in Vietnam so I knew I could try to cook it. I also know that eventually when I move back home, I can try and make the dish and maybe cook more Malaysian dishes. We grow most of the vegetables and ingredients.

There was an interesting leaf though (pandan), that had to be added to the coconut rice. I had never heard of before. I managed to get it in Hanoi. I cooked my dish over the weekend and added all the contraptions that went with it. All I can say is, “It was a winner!”

“Pandan, also known as screwpine, is a tropical plant prized mostly for its long, blade-like leaves. It’s a popular ingredient in many Sri Lankan, Thai, and other South Asian dishes.” https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/pandan#what-it-is